to lose face
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
To be lowered in the esteem of others through an affront to one's dignity — a matter of the utmost importance in the Far East.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “to lose face” mean?
To be lowered in the esteem of others through an affront to one's dignity — a matter of the utmost importance in the Far East.
Is “to lose face” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.